Compliance Plan Progress Update Compliance with the conditions of our environmental and development approvals is essential to promote good relationships with key decision makers and the community. Both of these groups can influence the day-to-day operations of sites and future development applications for expansion or new development. In order to manage “compliance” the Compliance Position Audit Assessment has been initiated under ACM QLD Regional Environmental Plan framework. All ACM QLD sites will undergo a third party environmental audit as part of the assessment. An audit team has been formed which includes: Clayton Hill, Rob Preslmaier , Tina Watkin and Elke Stapf. The following audits have been conducted in the first quarter of 2005: Concrete Plants: Robina, Labrador, Benowa, Chinderah, Cleveland & Capalaba. Quarries: West Burleigh.

Thank you to staff at those sites that have been audited so far this year. Your support is appreciated. The following audits are scheduled for the second quarter of 2005:Concrete Plants: Noosa, Maroochydore, Caloundra, Coolum, Cairns, Port Douglas, Mossman, Mareeba, Tolga, Weipa, Garbutt, Mackay, Mt Isa, Longreach & Barcaldine. Quarries: Coolum, Mooloolah, Redlynch, Tichum Creek, Cedars, Roseneath, Black River, Alice River & Longreach. Site Managers will be given a minimum of 2 weeks notice prior to an audit of their site.

Gold Coast City Council (GCCC). The sites were audited by GCCC last month (an annual requirement). The sites achieved outstanding results from their audits and they have been rewarded through the GCCC incentive licensing scheme. Now the sites receive a discount on environmental licence fees, reducing the annual payment from $650 down to $550 per plant. These audit results send a message to GCCC that Boral have the right attitude towards environmental management. Most of the larger Queensland councils offer an incentive licensing scheme for good environmental performance.

QIRS Community Complaints & Environmental Incidents The Quality Improvement Reporting System (QIRS) is now fully functional and available through “on-site”. The system is used by all business units for communicating internal and external customer and community feedback, and the effective management of customer and community complaints, nonconforming product, environmental impacts, corrective and preventive actions and reporting.

Environmental Awareness Training will also be conducted for staff when time permits. Auditors will liaise with Site Managers to organise staff training at an appropriate time and venue. The audit team looks forward to visiting you soon. Excellent environmental management, by Clint Turnbull and the Labrador and Benowa plant staff, has been rewarded by

Water Balance Stapylton Quarry A “water balance” is a model that simulates the behaviour of a quarry site water management system. The water balance identifies all inputs and outputs within the catchment areas of the quarry. The water balance typically simulates daily conditions over a period of 50100 years and takes into account average monthly rainfall and evaporation, runoff into storages and quarry water usage. The findings of a water balance provide an indication of the frequency and volume of discharges from water storages such as sediment dams, the shortfalls in water supply for use by plant and equipment, and other key quarry site water data. A water balance is being conducted at Stapylton Quarry with the assistance of Quarry Manager, Bruce Barry. The water balance is lead by BES Environment Manager QLD Rob Preslmaier who has also enlisted the assistance of Travis Potts (Geologist National Overlay), Ian Baldwin (Environment Manager) and Clayton Hill (Planning & Development Officer). The purpose of this exercise is to:

Recycling

Feedback or Issue Details section. Then select the “Issue Type”. There are numerous selection from dust to fuel spills.

1.Under the majority of our environmental approvals we are obliged to record the details of complaints received from the community, local or state government depts’ - this is a legal obligation. If a complaint is made regarding noise or dust in particular, compliance monitoring is required; and

Any enquiry regarding this site should be directed to Peter Ireland, QIRS Administrator. If you require assistance to input a community or environmental issue please contact any Planning & Development member. Don’t forget that positive feedback can also be input into the QIRS - this is of real value if we are asked to provide our records to the EPA or just a simple way to inform your managers of good news.

2.As soon as practical after becoming aware of an emergency or incident which results in the release of contaminants we are obliged to notify the EPA and or the local council. A report detailing: the proposed actions to prevent a recurrence of the incident, and the outcomes of actions taken to minimise the environmental nuisance or harm must be provided to the EPA within 14 days of the incident. To address our legal requirements it is essential that QIRS is used to capture all complaints & environmental incidents. The system allows for ease of reporting and analysis of data for improvement purposes. On the “Reporting Feedback or Issue” page Community Complaint and Incident are selections in the “Reason for Report” box.

identify the amount of water currently captured onsite; identify stormwater flow paths on and offsite; identify the amount of water consumed on site; and identify solutions for managing a surplus or deficit of water onsite. Initial assessment and development of water balance model, has been completed. This stage identified that after allowing for transfers of water to the processing area the quarry generates an average of 8,000 excess kilo litres of water per month. Further investigation of management options, has commenced. This stage will identify options for managing the excess water generated onsite including further reuse and discharge options. An update will be provided once these identified management options have been evaluated and implemented.

For community complaint and environmental incidents please note that:

Elke Stapf has conducted research into the Planet Ark Printer Cartridge Recycling Program. The program engages businesses to demonstrate a commitment to the environment and good corporate citizenship. They also offer a completely free service delivering recycle boxes and free pick-up when they are full.Simply collect your empty and unwanted cartridges and place them in the special ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ boxes. There are two recycling bins in the Milton office. All of the printer cartridges collected will be returned to Close the Loop® where they will be sorted and processed. Almost 60% of the laser cartridges are sent to the original equipment manufacturers for their remanufacturing or component recovery programs. All inkjet cartridges, toner bottles and drum units are processed to recycle their component materials into new products like the bench seat seen to the right. To become a Program Participant call the ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ hotline on 1800 24 24 73. Alternatively, you can download and fill out a registration form form: www.planetark.com/cartridges/RegoForm05.pdf

5

May 2005

Inside this issue 1

Living Green: Our new environmental partnership.

2

Quarry Tours well Recieved: CCAA & Qld Resource Council take a tour of Petrie and Lawnton quarries.

2

Planting Growing in Popularity: Community helps out with rehabilitation project near Ormeau quarry.

3

Sustainability: Progress update & intro to the 2004 Boral Sustanability Report.

3

Koala Conservation. At the turn of the century there were millions of Koala’s in Qld... today the numbers are much lower.

5

Compliance Plan: Progress Update.

5

Water Balance: Simulations at Stapylton quarry set to save water.

5

Recycling: Small efforts give be benefits.

6

QIRS: New software system streemlines management of complaints and incidents.

6

Welcome Elke: Broading her interests Elke joins the Planning & Development team.

The first edition of Changing Perceptions was well received, introducing the ACM Queensland Regional Environmental Plan and the raft of issues that are addressed under this Plan. Positive feedback was received from Michael Leggo (GM, Environmental Services) and Duncan Fraser (GM Human Resources) who indicated Queensland was leading the way in communicating the importance of sustainability to the business. Murray Read is also a vocal sponsor of the newsletter and Plan. More so, Murray is pushing for improvements in the way we manage natural resources such as water and energy. Two way communication of ideas for changes onsite is the best way to assess and improve our “sustainability”. We encourage you to use the email facility to submit questions, ideas and articles on any facet of sustainability. In this way Changing Perceptions is relevant to your situations (what ever they may be) and your initiatives may be learnt and applied by others in the business. The Changing Perceptions email address is: [email protected]

For an environmental incident select environment as the “Category” in the

New to the team

“Living Green”

Welcome to Elke Stapf

our new environmental partnership After completing a Degree in Commerce, Elke was looking for an opportunity in personal development within Boral. She has now joined the Planning & Development Team on a casual basis being one (1) day per week (generally Wednesdays). Elke will bring valuable knowledge to the Planning & Development division through her familiarity with the Country Qld Business over the past 5 years. She looks forward to being part of a Team providing strategic direction to Boral’s future in managing environmental, community and sustainability issues.

We believe that ACM Qld is leading the way in setting out and implementing a strategy to ensure our business continues to develop in a sustainable way, well into the future. From our various dealings with the community and government around the state it is clear from their feedback that we are certainly starting to change their perceptions of what can be achieved when we work collaboratively. It is YOU however, in your everyday activities as part of the Boral business that have the greatest potential to keep the momentum going, so please get involved and communicate your ideas. ACM Qld through the Regional Environmental Plan has committed to achieving these aims and the Planning & Development Team are here to provide support & direction. If you haven’t seen one of us recently you will over the coming months…

Email

Phone

To submit an article or comment by email:

To speak with the Newsletter editor call

[email protected]

Ian Baldwin: 07 3867 7659

Mail

Fax

To submit an article or comment by mail:

To submit an article or comment by fax:

Boral Construction Materials

07 3867 7488

Attention Ian Baldwin P.O.Box 1369 Milton 4064

Paul West

After three and a half years, Boral’s highly successful Towards a Greener Future partnership program with Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) and Landcare Australia, concluded in late 2004. Towards a Greener Future delivered over 60 separate local community conservation projects around Australia, many involving employee participation in activities such as tree-planting, revegetation work, weeding, track-building and so on. Now, Boral and CVA are moving into a new partnership which will see Boral sponsor CVA through to mid-2008. The new ‘partnership’ named Boral ‘Living Green’ will build on the work already done under Towards a Greener Future and will reinforce Boral’s commitment to sustainability. Boral has a long-standing association with Conservation Volunteers Australia, extending some 15 years. CVA is a national non-political not-for-profit organisation that corporations including BHP Billion, Rio Tinto, Toyota, Vodafone and the Commonwealth Bank support.

‘Change Perceptions’

Most suppliers of Office Equipment such as photocopiers, printers, faxes etc. will no longer offer to re-fill toner cartridges. This means used cartridges are waste. It has been estimated that over 80% of our used cartridges are going directly to landfill. The metals used in cartridges are mined from the earth’s crust and the plastics are derived from petroleum. These resources are finite - there are limited amounts of them that can be extracted. These materials can be recycled into new products. Metals, such as aluminium can be recycled again and again. Recycling these materials to make new products often uses less energy and makes better use of our material resources. It also leaves more virgin materials in the ground for future generations.

Issue 2

Living Green is designed to involve the company’s employees and their families, and other stakeholders; encouraging them to “… create, enhance and celebrate green spaces” in the communities in which Boral operates. The partnership will generate opportunities for employees across Australia to take part in local environmental projects – and they can share their experiences and successes with others through the Living Green Storyteller Competition. Already, there is strong support for the program across the company and a steering committee has been established with its 11 members drawn from a range of divisions and functions. This steering committee is currently developing an operational plan and identifying suitable projects. Additionally, it is hoped that two ‘landmark’ community or environmental projects will be tackled by Boral’s employees under the program each year. Initial meetings have been held with CVA’s regional manager Damien Draper with the aim of initiating the first Queensland ‘landmark project’ at Narangba quarry. More details of the Living Green program will be revealed over the coming weeks.

Changing Perceptions is a BCM Qld initiative developed to promote the importance of sustainable development through recognised and respected environmental practices.

Planning & Development Manager 6

1

Quarry Tours Well Recieved

Planting Growing In Popularity

CCAA and Queensland Resource Council Tour

Community Engagement

Sustainable Development

Congratulations to Peter Byrne and Wayne Wallace on another successful planting day at Ormeau Quarry. Wayne has nurtured the relationship with the local Landcare group headed by Bob and Sue Durrant. The group is rehabilitating the banks of the upper reaches of the Pimpama River which meander through the Boral Ormeau Quarry. Peter Byrne was responsible for the organisation of the day as Wayne was on leave. Over one thousand native plants were planted with over thirty participants attending. It was great to see Boral employees and families also involved.

Sustainability Reporting On Progress

Our current modes of production and consumption are unsustainable - natural systems such as waterways and farmland are showing sign of irreparable damage, air quality is deteriorating and global climatic conditions are being affected.

Representatives of the industry body Cement Concrete Aggregates Australia (CCAA) and the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) were taken on a tour of Boral’s Petrie Quarry and Lawnton Sand and Gravel operations on 3 February 2005. The representatives of QRC have been engaged by the CCAA to provide education on the quarrying industry to high school students and encourage these students to seek at career in the industry.

Wayne Currey

Happy Planter

Peter Byrne & grandson Dylan

Dundowran Quarry located on the outskirts of Hervey Bay will soon begin to actively engage the local community. An inception meeting is planned for early May for the establishment of the Dundowran Quarry Liaison Group. Quarry Manager Chris Mott (right) - mindful of substantial urban encroachment around his site - is keen to ensure any perceived impacts associated with the quarry are addressed through the liaison group. Members of Hervey Bay City Council, the EPA and the local community will be invited to attend the inception meeting.

The purpose of the tour was to obtain a better understanding of the quarrying industry and the types of employment opportunities available so as they could provide this information to the high school students. The tour focused on quarry and extractive processes and environmental initiatives undertaken by Boral. The tour was conducted by Andy Stuart(left), Petrie Quarry Manager, Richard Metzner (right), Manager of the Lawnton Sand Operation and Clayton Hill Planning and Development Officer. Examples of employment opportunities were highlighted through the tour including those of our own Planning & Development Team.

Chris is the first to implement the community engagement model that includes an initial risk assessment and engagement strategy developed under the Regional Environmental Plan and in conjunction with the Boral National Overlay.

Globalization (world markets) driven by large companies has resulted in the exploitation of cheap labour in developing nations. In turn the establishment of industry in what were subsistence style farming communities has disenfranchised the communities at the detriment of their culture and previously “low-impact” way of life. At home the corporatization of agriculture and grazing industries is changing rural communities and is resulting in a far greater impact on rural lands than ever before. Our cities are growing exponentially resulting in among other things: traffic congestion, reduced environmental quality, and marginalisation of the poor and elderly.

These changes have not gone unnoticed by government and the general public and there is a groundswell of interest and concern for the basic elements of life community and environment. Australia’s governments have worked together to develop the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development and the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment. In doing so we as a nation have committed to the widely accepted concept of sustainable development described as: development which aims to meet the needs of Australians today, while conserving our ecosystems for the benefit of future generations. The major elements of sustainable development include: 1. integrating the economic, social and environmental concerns and needs of the community; 2. accounting properly for the economic costs of environmental degradation; 3. accepting that each generation is responsible for the welfare of future generations;

Companies in all industry sectors cited ‘reputation enhancement’ as the key benefit of producing a sustainability report. Other benefits identified were: :- gaining the confidence of investors, insurers and financial institutions;

:- improved management of risks.

Beyond these policy documents there has been an obvious commitment made by our governments to influence the current modes of production and consumption for a sustainable future. In Queensland this is

The organisation and planning that went into the afternoon was obvious to all who participated and contributed greatly to its success. The overview of the quarrying industry and its relevance to society provided the basis from which our education officers could introduce this topic while the opportunity to ask questions throughout the entire afternoon addressed a number of specific queries and concerns. The tours at both the Petrie and Lawnton sites encompassing quarrying and processing practices and environmental issues particularly the koala fodder program did much to enhance our education officers’ knowledge of quarrying operations within the northern Brisbane region…”

At the turn of the last century, there were millions of koalas in Queensland. Unfortunately, today’s koala population is a fraction of that size. 2

Real differences in moving towards sustainable development of the ACM QLD business are made at the coalface through changes to production methods and practices, through improved relationships with the community and through protecting our current operations and landholdings from sterilisation and ensuring there is the opportunity for the business to grow in the future. In order to achieve this, more information and a better understanding of our environmental and social impacts must be developed. The information and understanding is being sort and developed under the ACM QLD Regional Environmental Plan framework.

5. understanding the global scale of environmental issues

On behalf of Queensland Resources Council Education Officers I would like to extend my sincere thanks for the part you and other staff members played in making our quarry tour such a successful experience.

Education Manager

Large companies have not been blind to the groundswell either. Environmental and sustainability reporting is becoming increasingly common among very large companies; 45% of the Global Fortune Top 250 companies now publish such reports. In a recent review of companies in the S&P/ ASX 300 index, the top 100 private companies, and the top 100 unlisted public companies (Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Heritage June 2004) it was found that a total of 116 companies among the 509 covered are producing sustainability reports (or sections of Annual Reports or websites). Of these 53% are in the mining or manufacturing sector.

:- operational and management improvements and;

“Queensland Resources Council Education Officers’ Quarry Tour

Robert Wilson

Boral’s 2004 Sustainability Report Available now through “onsite” under Safety, Environment & Community.

4. understanding environmental risk and uncertainty and;

Koala Conservation

CCAA and QRC were extremely grateful for the support of Andy Stuart, Richard Metzner and Clayton Hill and their assistance during the tour. Gratitude was reflected in a letter received from Robert Wilson Education Manager of QRC.

evident in recent legislation the Integrated Planning Act 1997, Environmental Protection Act 1994 and the very controversial legislation the Water Act 2000 and Vegetation Management Act 1999. These pieces of legislation are supported by a raft of policy and guidelines.

Through showing a commitment to the major elements of sustainable development companies reporting on their efforts will be viewed more positively in the market place and mutually beneficial outcomes can be achieved between companies, communities and the environment.

Scientists estimate that there are now only between 100,000 and 300,000 koalas left in Queensland.This significant fall in numbers has lead to koalas-the Queensland faunal emblem and Australia’s international icon-being classified as vulnerable to extinction in the South East Queensland Bioregion. This is an area that stretches from Gladstone, out to Toowoomba and down to the New South Wales border. Within this region is the Koala Coast, 375sq.km of land that has been identified as one of the most significant koala habitats in Australia. The greatest threat to koalas is loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation. Some of the largest populations of koalas live in the south-east corner of Queensland. However, it is also the most heavily urbanised region of Queensland, with development and population expected to continue to expand with an expected 85,000 people soon to call this state home over the next 12 months. This also means koala habitat is being cleared for houses, roads, shops and other development. In 2002 the EPA signed an agreement with “The Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin and Australia Zoo to establish a koala hospital and ambulance service for the northern suburbs of Brisbane. Fodder for the Australia Zoo koala hospital is sourced from the Boral Petrie Quarry koala fodder plantation. A similar plantation is proposed for the Narangba Quarry located

Check It Out...Onsite!

Sustainable Management Action Plan One facet of the Plan is the Sustainable Management Action Plan. Step one of this plan was the Work for the Future questionnaire. Results from this questionnaire indicate that we do not know a lot about our “baseline”. Very few sites (